You SUCK! You’re a FAILURE! You’ll Never Amount to Anything!

byParthaB

4.1K followers

4 years ago

Failure 1

I took a job at my local newspaper, the Kansas City Star.

However, it wasn’t long before my editor fired me. He told me his reasons were that “I was lacking in imagination and had NO good ideas”.

I thought I’d show him.

Well that didn’t work out too well, as a few years later I went bankrupt with Laugh-O-Gram Studio, a company that produced short animated cartoons for theatres.

However, in 1923, with the help of my brother Roy, we formed our own studio.

Who Am I?

Failure 2

It was 1990, I was 25 at the time, and I happened to be waiting for a train.

And then it came to me, I had a fantastic idea for a book.

However, just a few short months later my mother died from multiple sclerosis.

I was utterly heartbroken.

Following my mother’s death I moved to Portugal to teach English. While I was there, I met a man, we got married, and in 1993 I gave birth to a daughter.

However, my marriage was a strenuous one, and eventually we got divorced.

I moved to Edinburgh at the end of 1993 to live with my sister.

But, I had never forgotten my book idea, although over those 3 years I had only completed 3 chapters.

I eventually finished writing the book in 1995, so it took me a total of 5 years from idea to completion, but I guess life just got in the way.

I found an agent and was excited about getting my book published.

That excitement didn’t last long, as I was rejected by 12 major publishing houses.

Bloomsbury finally gave my book the green light, and gave me a small advance of £1,500 in 1996.

And by 1997, now 7 years after my initial idea, my first book was finally published.

Who Am i?

Who Are These Failures?

Failure Number One formed his own studio with his brother Roy in 1923. That studio was initially named, The Disney Brothers Studio, which later became called the Walt Disney Company.

The man who “lacked imagination” and had “no good ideas” was WALT DISNEY.

This failure’s company is currently worth $130 BILLION.

Failure Number Two published her first book in 1997 and by 2004 Forbes claimed that she was the first author to become a billionaire through book writing.

The book - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

The author - Joanne Kathleen Rowling (J.K. Rowling)

Another Couple of Failures You May Have Heard Of

Fifteen years of hard work, 5,217 prototypes (or 5,127 failures) before James Dyson created the original Dyson Vacuum Cleaner. A company that is now worth $6.2 BILLION.

1,000 failures/unsuccessful attempts before producing the lightbulb, although Thomas Edison stated, “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 1,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”

What’s The Lesson to be Learned From This?

How do these people differ from you?

In truth, THEY DON’T.

They simply showed a quality that helped them to succeed - perseverance.

Have you ever shown perseverance?

You bet you have.

The first time you tried to walk as a baby I’m guessing you fell over.

You got up, tried another time, and then you fell over again and again and again. Probably hundreds of times.

Did you give up?

No, you persevered

Remember being at school trying to learn your 8 times table?

Did you get it right the first time?

Nope!

Did you give up?

No, you persevered.

Do remember getting in a car for the first time ever and thinking that you’d never pass your driving test?

What about the first time you ever switched on a computer and thought you’d never get the hang of this?

You got through it, you persevered, and you acquired new skills.

It’s the same in all walks of life.

Never give up at the first hurdle.

Never give up when you fail.

Persevere, and I promise good things will come.

“If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” - Thomas Edison.

Thank you for reading

Partha